Nightmares and Daytime Troubles
by MissGuenever
Summary: Another dabble in the Extra Cargo 'verse.  A not so fluffy look at nighttime horrors; and daytime head banging.
1. Nightmares

The rollers were getting ready to crest the hill; at least that is what the scout said. They needed to stop the rollers from cresting because if they did it was all over. An explosion rocked the ground near his position; a little too close to comfort. "Move out!" Mal barked at his squad as missiles lit the sky. "We've gotta stop those gorram rollars."

"Yes, Sir." His second in command barked back at him. "Hutchins, Yao you're with me."

Sgt Reynolds watched as Zoë headed into the hellhole that was this battlefield. Some nitwit had given it the oh so cheerful name 'Operation Grand Ballroom.' The sky lit up as the Alliance rained down hell around their position. The ground was shaking as they impacted one after another faster than he could count. He could hear a scream as someone was hit by something; and sent up a prayer that their death was fast. Mal turned to the three soldiers with him in the makeshift command post. "Hold this position. Got it."

"Yes, Sergeant." Came from all three of them. A new recruit named Bendis, and two slightly more seasoned soldiers a girl named Lebedev, and a kid who hadn't started shaving yet by the name of Facciano or something like that. His accent was so thick no one could understand him.

"Hold this position." Mal emphasized one more time before grabbing a rifle and heading out to try and take out what he could of the Alliance squad behind the rollers. If he could take out their position it would lessen the damage they could do to his squad. Around him he could hear bullets flying; the whining of seekers overhead; and his heartbeat in his ears. He could smell fear in the air; and knew that some of it was his.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and he turned narrowly missing being hit by roller round. "Mal, Mal."

"Damn it Lebedev; I told you to hold."

"Mal, wake up. You're having a dream."

Captain Reynolds opened his eyes to see Inara standing over him. He looked around he'd falled asleep at the dining table while he was cleaning his weapon. The parts were spread out on their piece of leather; Caroline was drawing with River in the common area before lessons. Wash and Zoë were keeping an eye on them.

"You were muttering in her sleep; something about holding and Lebedev. Who's Lebedev?"

Mal closed his eyes for a second; he really didn't want to answer that question. Golensa Lebedev. An interesting woman; the mother of his daughter, he looked over, and caught Zoë's eye. She nodded knowingly; understanding as only another soldier can. And she knew who Lebedev was; Golensa Lebedev.

Wash looked up and saw the look pass between the two of them. This look he understood; he'd held Zoë many nights when her demons became too much for her to bear alone and she'd woken up shaking, sweating, and sometimes screaming.

"Sorry; I must have dozed off." Mal ran his hand through his hair.

"Would you like a cup of tea; I was just making myself one." Inara understood nightmares; she might not have been a soldier. But, she was a companion.

"Thanks." Mal tried to look casual; but, Caroline coming on board had brought back old nightmares for him. Images he'd been in no hurry to see ever again; and that he'd hoped had been buried forever. "Little one was up last night; nightmares."

"Mmm…" Inara nodded as she placed the cup of fragrant jasmine tea by Mal and walked over to look at what the girls were drawing.


	2. Daytime Drama

**A/N: Gaben**, I hope this answers the message you sent. Yes, I agree with you Mal would make a swift decision. **Bladefax**, **gaben**, **jsmudge**, and **RionaEire** thanks so much for the reviews on When She Was Good! I really hope this holds up to the high standards you all set. **Ashleyder1** you gave me the courage to branch out in the Caroline 'verse; thanks!

And if you are new to this story; it might not make sense if you haven't read my other story Extra Cargo. It starts a little slow (I apologize for that); but, if you make it through the first couple chapters it picks up. I think this would be a good chapter 7a; or something like that; you don't need to read the first seven chapters – but, probably the first six chapters.

"Sphincter hell! I ain't learning that swai Core shit."

Overhearing the words coming from Caroline's mouth Mal changed direction and instead of heading up to the bridge stalked into the dining area and grabbed his daughter from her seat at the dining table by the back of her overalls and laid a swat to her bottom. "I thought I told you to mind your elders and watch your mouth?"

"Qu ni de! Screw you!" Caroline shrieked as she was lifted from her chair. "I don…

"Probably not the best words to be coming out of your mouth." Mal interrupted his daughter and arched an eyebrow as he reached the sink; he plopped his fighting burden on the edge of the counter maintaining a firm hand on her and using his other hand grabbed the bar of soap. He turned on the water and wet the bar of soap. "Open."

Caroline's eyes widened and she clamped her jaws shut, shook her head, and tried to get off the counter; but, it was too high and her ba' had her in a tight grip. "Rrrmph."

He remembered being in similar positions with his mom at this age; and how she'd gotten the bar of soap in his mouth. With a minimum of effort he had the bar of soap in her mouth. "Best you calm down, tao shen, naughty child, or it will stay there longer."

She kicked out one more time in frustration, connecting with her bare foot against his thigh. Mal smacked her thigh hard. "No kicking people."

He waited another minute and gestured for her to spit the bar of soap out as he handed her a glass of water. Caroline gulped the water and spit into the sink trying to get the nasty taste of hand soap out of her mouth. When she'd finished Mal lifted her down from the high counter "You get over to that table and apologize to the Doc."

Caroline's eyes narrowed, her temper hadn't calmed yet. "Jien tah-duh guay! Like hell! Who cares about the ruttin' central planets. I don' need to learn that gorram shit."

That was it. Serenity's Captain picked up his struggling willful child and carried her back to the dining room table where Simon was sitting rather shell shocked at what had just happened. Sitting down in the chair Caroline had just vacated he pulled her across his lap unfastening her overall straps and pulling them down baring the flowered underwear she'd picked out at Mrs Larsson's palace of pink frippery. That had been a nice day; a break from the routine. Mal would much rather focus on the day spent with his daughter on Hillard instead of the spanking he was about to mete out.

"You know better than to use language like that." Smack, smack, smack. "I know your ma taught you 'bout respecting yer elders." Smack, smack, smack; Mal laid a series of spanks down on his daughter's bottom. "Ah know we've talked 'bout your manners." Mal's accent thickened slightly into the phrasing of his childhood. Smack, smack, smack, he paddled her sit spots. "Don't want you bein' rude to no one no how." Smack, smack, smack. She started crying; the pain in her rear end was unbearable and she threw her hand up to try and protect her bottom. He didn't pause as he captured her arm and spanked his daughter.

"I'll be good, I promise." Caroline sobbed. Mal almost chuckled; another spot he'd been in many times at her age. And he remembered making the same promises to his ma. Promises that lasted a few days longer than the sting in his backside.

"You're gonna 'pologize to the Doc." Mal laid down another volley of smacks, and rested his hand on the small of her back. "Right?"

"Uh huh." Caroline blubbered not really noticing that he'd stopped spanking her. Ma had only spanked her a couple times; she usually just smacked her upside the head. But, most of the time Caroline had done what she'd wanted when she'd wanted.

He wasn't going to let her off the hook; he wanted to hear the words. The words that would drive home the point he was trying to make. "I wanna hear you say it."

"Yessir; I'll 'pologize to the Doc." She whimpered out tears still flowing.

"And?"

"I'll be good." Caroline felt his hand move towards her bottom when she paused. "An… An… I'll 'spect elders."

Mal gathered up his little girl into his arms and cuddled her laying kisses on her forehead. "I love you bao bei. I will always love you; but, you gotta obey. Orders are given for a reason; keep us all alive and the ship in the air. Dong ma?"

"Shirrah." Caroline bobbed her head still sniffling. "ShirrahCap'n."

He held her for a couple a more minutes before standing her up next to the chair. "You go tell the doc you're sorry; and then go to yer bunk till dinner."

"Yessir." Caroline's chin dropped and she walked out of the common area to find Simon who'd left the common area.

"If you don't apologize properly I will know." Mal yelled at the disappearing form of his daughter; feeling the need to tell her because he wouldn't have apologized at her age. He shook his head and gently banged it on the dining table, just resting it closing his eyes for a minute. This parenting thing didn't get any easier; it really was a nightmare sometimes.

"Captain, Captain." Simon strode into the common area, and Mal raised his head at the sound groaning inwardly.

"Yes."

"I really must protest at your barbaric reaction to to to…" The doc's arms were waving in agitation. He looked kinda like a flapping fish of some kind with the way mouth was moving, and arms were gesturing.

"To what?" Mal knew what Simon was talking about; but, wasn't in the mood to make it easier on the Core bred doctor. "Doctor."

"To, to, to, … the physical reprimand of your daughter."

"Why's that Doc?" The Captain rose and walked over to the dining area grabbing another cup of coffee; hoping the caffeine would calm the simmering headache rising behind his eyes.

Simon waved around his data pad. "Studies show that corporal punishment causes children to be more aggressive; and… and… and… it violates their human rights."

Mal leaned against the counter and arched an eyebrow. "Violates their human rights. And how would you propose we correct her behavior?"

"Natural consequences. Time-Outs. There are many available alternatives."

"And they have worked so well for you." He responded sarcasm dripping from each word.

"We've been working on modifying her behavior during her lessons."

"And that's why she cussed you out?" Or was that the behavior you were trying to encourage?" Mal slurped his coffee.

"Time-out worked great yesterday."

"Uh, huh. Yep, it worked after I threatened to spank her. She enjoyed being in a corner. It meant she wasn't doing lessons."

"Doc." Mal was ready for this discussion to end; he'd made up his mind with a little help from Dr Spock. "Doc, she don't listen it could get us all killed on a mission. Spanking quickly reinforces the fact that she made a bad choice in her behavior and provides her with a physical reminder of that fact."

"It also reinforces that physical responses are appropriate; and prevents them from learning humane conflict resolution."

"Doc. Ain't necessarily disagreeing with you on all points; but, corporal punishment provides a swift resolution to a problem. Plus, if you'd hung around you would have seen that I didn't beat her; I spanked her. There's a difference. Secondly; after I spanked her I held her reinforcing the fact that I love, will always love her, and want her to be good. Don't see no downside to that."

"But, …

"I ain't arguin' this with you no more. Don't wanna see her get killed because of something I coulda stopped. Until you came here; how many life or death situations you been in?"

The pounding behind Mal's eyes was growing; and when the doc started sputtering about life and death and giving some textbook reason about the downside of spanking his daughter the cap'n just held up his hand and walked out. "Discussions over."

Ba' – Father

Bao bei - precious

Qu ni de—Screw you

Shia — Affirmative

Tao shen - Naughty child

**E/N**: Well, I never meant this to become a social commentary on child rearing; but, I guess it is in some way, shape, or form. Pick a side. I think I'm with River on this one.


End file.
